Dino Flicks/The Sound of Silence: The Lost World (1925)

This is a prime example of a movie that you might not have actually seen, but you not only know of it but have likely seen images or clips from it, especially if you're a fan of dinosaur and monster movies. For me personally, I first learned about it in Fantastic Dinosaurs of the Movies, where it was featured in the introduction about the general fascination with dinosaurs and their impact on movies. While showing some clips, the narrator noted, "Audiences actually thought they were looking at real dinosaurs in the 1925 movie, The Lost World," and named Willis O'Brien as the special effects creator, adding how he would go on to work on King Kong. So, even from a very young age, I was able to grasp both the movie's significance and that of O'Brien and his effects work (thanks to this, I knew the man's name long before I ever saw an image of him). And because of its public domain status, I saw clips in numerous places over the years, from a freaking Bagel Bites commercial, where a girl is watching the movie on TV and literally raises her eyebrow at a close-up of a Brontosaurus moving his lips, to an episode of The Jeff Corwin Experience, where he was in Madagascar and acted as though the use of those clips were literally throwing him into the movie. I also remember it being discussed in The History of Sci-Fi and Horror with Butch Patrick, where he told the story about how Sir Arthur Conan Doyle screened some of the dinosaur footage to an astounded audience (specifically, a convention of magicians), who thought it was actual documentary footage. And, most notably, clips from it were shown and it was talked about in the documentary, RKO Production 501: The Making of Kong, The Eighth Wonder of the World, on that movie's 2005 DVD release. They talked about how revolutionary it was for its time, as well as how O'Brien and the film's director intended to do a follow-up called Creation, which was never made, but inspired Merian C. Cooper to hire O'Brien for King Kong. And I remember how Ray Harryhausen, on more than one occasion, said that nobody remembered who starred in The Lost World but everyone remembered the dinosaurs.

After all of that, and knowing how much I love classic movies, you may be surprised to learn that I didn't see The Lost World for the first time until I was thirty! But it was good thing it took that long, as for decades, the only available versions were severely truncated, running only around an hour or so. After some restorations in the 90's and early 2000's, the film was released on Blu-Ray in 2017 by Flicker Alley and Lobster Films in its most complete form ever, running 102 minutes. This was the version I saw, when I got that Blu-Ray for Christmas that year, and it makes for a fascinating watch. The pacing can be a bit sluggish, most of the characters are extremely bland and two-dimensional, and, since this print was pieced together from various sources, and there's still material missing that may never be found, it sometimes comes off as choppy, but the dinosaurs and O'Brien's groundbreaking stop-motion effects alone make it worth watching. You also realize just how influential it was, as its story, third act, and special effects were not only a prelude to King Kong, just eight years later, but countless other monster flicks and even Steven Spielberg's approach to the second Jurassic Park, which has the same name.

Edward Malone, a young reporter for London's Record-Journal, wishes to marry Gladys Hungerford, but she says she will only marry a brave man who will face danger without a second thought. With that, Ed goes to his paper's offices and asks to be given a dangerous assignment. He unwittingly ends up in the office of his editor, who's been talking with an attorney about Prof. Challenger, a brilliant but extremely temperamental scientist who's planning to sue the Record-Journal. Challenger has recently returned from an expedition to South America, and claims to have encountered living dinosaurs and other prehistoric creatures. But since he has no concrete proof of his claims, he's been labeled as a crackpot. Ed is then tasked with heading over to Zoological Hall, where Challenger is giving a lecture. There, he meets Sir John Roxton, an explorer and big-game hunter, who also happens to be a mutual friend of both his and Challenger's. During the lecture, Challenger dares anyone who's brave enough to return with him to the plateau in South America where he claims to have encountered the dinosaurs. Among the volunteers are Prof. Summerlee, a skeptical member of the academic counsel, Roxton, and Ed, although things get off to a rough start when Challenger chases Ed out of the hall upon learning he's a reporter. Undaunted, Ed sneaks into Challenger's home and is almost throttled to death, until he mentions that Roxton is his friend as well. Once he's calmed down, Challenger introduces Ed to Paula White, the daughter of Maple White, an explorer who was stranded on the plateau, but whose journal, containing crude drawings of the dinosaurs, they brought back. Paula, who was also her father's assistant, claims to have seen the dinosaurs as well, and Challenger's intended return expedition is meant as a rescue mission. Ed decides to have his newspaper finance the rescue, which Challenger reluctantly agrees to. Months later, the expedition is underway, with Challenger, Ed, Paula, Roxton, and Summerlee being accompanied by Challenger's butler, Austin, a servant named Zambo, and a monkey named Jocko, who becomes fond of Paula. When they reach the plateau, they learn that the claims of dinosaurs and other creatures living there are very true. However, after climbing up to it, the group soon find themselves trapped there, with seemingly no escape, and at the mercy of the prehistoric beasts.

Like Ray Harryhausen said, almost nobody remembers who actually starred in The Lost World, and the same goes for its director, Harry O. Hoyt, as everyone credits its success to Willis O'Brien. Not that O'Brien isn't deserving of such praise, obviously, but the actual director, or "dramatic director," as Hoyt is credited, deserves mention as well. Though The Lost World is definitely his most well-known film, Hoyt's directing and screenwriting career stretches back to the early 1910's, with his first feature as director being a 1919 film called The Hand Invisible. He went on to write and direct numerous films throughout the silent era and, as previously noted, he and O'Brien came together again in the early 30's to create an unofficial sequel to The Lost World with Creation, though all that remains of that aborted project is a little bit of special effects test footage. Hoyt's feature directing career all but came to an end shortly afterward, with his last being a 1933 film called Jungle Bride. His screenwriting career, however, continued steadily on through the 40's, with his final feature writing credit being a 1945 mystery/comedy, The Missing Corpse. After writing and directing a handful of shorts in the late 40's and early 50's, Hoyt retired from filmmaking. He died in 1961, at the age of 75.

A big reason why few remember the actors in the film is because the characters they play are quite bland, even for the time. Our ostensible lead, Edward Malone (Lloyd Hughes), is mainly responsible for setting the plot in motion, as he's so determined to marry Gladys Hungerford that he goes to his newspaper and asks to be put on a dangerous assignment. This leads to his being charged with covering Prof. Challenger's lecture at Zoological Hall, and luckily for him, his friend, Sir John Roxton, happens to be there. This allows him to get in without showing his press pass, which would've gotten him thrown out. Though he, like many, is skeptical about Challenger's claims of real dinosaurs in South America, when the professor asks for volunteers for another expedition, Ed sees this as an opportunity to prove his bravery to Gladys. Things don't go smoothly, as when Ed is forced to admit his occupation, Challenger chases him out of the hall. He later sneaks into Challenger's home, and the professor attacks him before he can explain himself, with the fight leading out into the street. After the police get involved, and Ed admits that he was to blame, Challenger hears him out when he tells him that he's friends with Roxton. With that, Ed is shown Maple White's journal, containing drawings of the plateau and the dinosaurs, and also meets Paula White, who claims that she saw them as well. Though still not entirely convinced, when Ed learns that the return expedition is actually meant to rescue White, he realizes, given how it's a human interest story, that his newspaper would be willing to fund it. Reluctantly, Challenger agrees and Ed joins the expedition, writing letters to Gladys every step of the way. When they finally reach the plateau, he's still skeptical, but like everyone else, gets all of the proof he needs when they see a Pteranodon fly through the night sky and then land to eat its meal. And once they're on the plateau, they see even more prehistoric creatures, which they become stranded with.

Despite his engagement to Gladys, over the course of their journey, Ed begins to fall for Paula White (Bessie Love). This creates something of a love triangle, as Roxton also clearly has feelings for Paula; however, Paula herself is more preoccupied with finding her father. Once they become stranded on the plateau, she begins to lose hope, at one point telling Ed that, if her father were still alive, he would've come to them after seeing their campfire. Ed tries to encourage her not to give up hope, and after the group is forced to move into a cave when their campsite proves unsafe, both he and Roxton search for any sign of White. It's here that Ed comes out and tells Paula that he loves her, adding that, since they're no longer in the civilized world, its rules and obligations no longer apply to them. Paula decides to go along with it, returning Ed's affection and agreeing to have Prof. Summerlee, who was once a minister, marry them. However, in a private moment, Roxton breaks it to Paula that he found her father's remains, bringing back a locket with her picture in it. Naturally, she's devastated, but has little time to mourn, as a volcano on the plateau erupts, causing chaos as the dinosaurs stampede, and Ed and the professors get caught up in it. They eventually manage to get down from the plateau, but once they do, Paula tells Ed, "We are back in the world... and its obligations. You made Gladys promise to wait for you. You must keep your part of that promise. This is... goodbye." Following one last embrace and kiss, Paula returns to camp, clearly struggling with her decision. Having overheard them, Roxton tells her that it would be foolish to cast Ed aside like this, but she insists, "My decision is absolutely final!" By the time we get to the end, however, things have changed dramatically.

Despite being quite a significant character in the plot, as she serves as Ed's motivation to get everything movie, Gladys (Alma Bennett) only appears in the very first scene and during the climax. Having rebuffed Ed's proposal, she tells him, "I will only marry a man of great deeds and strange experiences, a man who can look death in the face without flinching!" When she adds, "The kind of man I mean makes his own chances. You can't hold him back!", this prompts Ed to go his newspaper for a potentially hazardous assignment, leading him to meet Prof. Challenger and go on his return expedition. Come the third act, Gladys is present at Zoological Hall, where Challenger plans to exhibit the Brontosaurus they've managed to capture. However, Ed calls and tells him that the dinosaur broke loose while being unloaded from the ship, leading to its climactic rampage in London. Afterward, with the Brontosaurus having fallen into the River Thames and swimming out to see, Ed is reunited with Gladys. She can't deny that he's proven his bravery, but then reveals that she didn't wait for him! Moreover, the man she married, Percy Potts, is a fragile weakling who has never left London, with Gladys admitting that what she said to Ed was, "Just my girlish whim!" Though Ed is elated, as it means he can marry Paula, Gladys deserved an earful, at the very least.

The best character by far is Prof. Challenger (Wallace Beery), whom Sir John Roxton describes to Ed as, "One of the greatest minds in London, with the temper... of a gorilla." We get a hint of that before Challenger is introduced, as he's said to be planning to sue the Record Journal for doubting his claims, and the editor says he nearly killed three reporters sent to interview him. He so despises reporters in general that, when he holds his lecture at Zoological Hall, the press has been barred from attending. When we first see Challenger there, he's shown to be a rather burly man, with a big, bushy beard, a crazy hairdo, and a seething disdain for those in the hall who are jeering and mocking him, which is just about everybody in the audience. When one student mockingly yells, "Bring on your mastodons! Bring on your mammoths!", Challenger retorts, "I will... if any of you spineless worms are brave enough to go back with me into the trackless jungles where these monsters live!" That shuts everybody up, and he proceeds to mock their lack of bravery, adding, "I see I offended you by calling you 'worms.' Well, I offer you worms an apology and beg your worms' forgiveness," before mockingly bowing. Slowly but surely, he accrues some volunteers and, save for Roxton, he has a disparaging comment for each of them. When Prof. Summerlee accepts to prove Challenger a fraud, he snarks, "Accepted! Better an old fool... than a young coward!" And when Ed volunteers, Challenger says, "Probably the brain of a child... but the body of an athlete. Accepted." However, he literally chases Ed out of the hall and into the streets when he learns he's a reporter for the Record Journal, and just about kills Ed when he sneaks into his house. It's only when he learns that Roxton is a mutual friend to them both that Challenger agrees to take Ed on, showing him Maple White's journal and introducing him to Paula White. When Ed offers to have his paper fund the expedition, Challenger initially refuses to have anything to do with them, but Paula and his wife are able to talk him into it.

Months into the expedition, when they've stopped at an outpost in the Amazon before heading on to the plateau, Challenger lets his volunteers know that the journey ahead will be hard and anyone who can't hack it best stay behind. And when Summerlee complains about Jocko the monkey coming with them, Challenger retorts, "Jocko knows which berries and roots in the forest are edible, and which are poisonous. He will be far more use to us than you, my dear sir!" Upon reaching the plateau, Challenger plans to do the same as Maple White and use a fallen tree to cross the chasm. They then get a glimpse of a vicious Apeman and see a Pteranodon, vindicating both

Challenger and White's claims. Once they cross over to the plateau, Challenger is intrigued with the place and identifies the dinosaurs they see, but is the one who's the most visibly horrified when they become stranded there, exclaiming, "We're prisoners... exactly like Maple White!" After they've moved their campsite to a cave, Challenger constructs a catapult to use to defend themselves, and he and Summerlee then observe a Brontosaurus from nearby. Summerlee wonders what the scientists back in London will say when he tells them of this, only for Challenger to note that he'll be called a liar, just as Summerlee did to him. This comes back around after they've managed to escape the plateau, only to discover that very

Brontosaurus, which fell over the edge during a fight with a Tyrannosaurus and is now stuck in a thick mud bank. Challenger seizes the opportunity to capture the dinosaur and transport it back to London as proof of his claims. When he holds another meeting at Zoological Hall, he boasts that they will soon see he was right... until he gets a call from Ed that the Brontosaurus got loose while being unloaded at the docks. Challenger is again called a fraud when he tells everyone of this but nobody is laughing when the Brontosaurus rampages through London before falling into the River Thames. Unlike Ed, Challenger gets no happy ending, as he's last seen looking absolutely crestfallen at having lost this specimen.

The only person who can somewhat control Challenger's temper is his wife (Margaret McWade), who often admonishes him for the fights he gets into. When she admonishes him for having beaten on Ed, Challenger silences her by picking her up and putting her atop this decorative podium, before formally introducing her to Ed. She tells Ed, "If my husband gets abusive again... just call me!" Later, she walks in on the discussion that her husband, Ed, Roxton, and Paula are having, adding, "My husband promised to raise funds for a rescue party... but instead of getting people to help him, he throws them out of houses and things!" And, along with Paula, Mrs. Challenger gets him to put aside his personal feelings about the Record Journal and agree to allow the paper to fund the expedition. Mrs. Challenger is present at the Zoological Hall during the climax, looking quite proud of her husband, but she disappears amid the chaos that breaks out.

Being a mutual friend of both Challenger and Ed, Sir John Roxton (Lewis Stone) is able to bring the two of them peacefully together. He's also about the only person who doesn't immediately write off Challenger's claims, telling Ed about how much of the Amazon remains unexplored and that he should, at least, hear the professor out. Being an explorer and big game hunter, Roxton doesn't hesitate to join Challenger's return expedition. What's more, he's also instrumental in getting Ed's newspaper to fund it, as his reputation and standing would convince them of its legitimacy. Before they leave, it's made very clear that Roxton has feelings for Paula, and over the course of the trip, he notices that Ed is becoming fond of her as well. But, while it initially seems like they might become bitter rivals for her affections, Roxton, in the end, decides to be the bigger man and gives his consent to Paula being with Ed. Moreover, when they've made it off the plateau and Paula insists that Ed keep his promise to Gladys, Roxton tells her, "Ed thinks a great deal of you, Paula... and love is too precious a thing to be cast aside lightly." While they're trapped on the plateau, Roxton makes two significant discoveries. First, while exploring the cave, he finds Maple White's remains and has to break the news to Paula, bringing back a locket with her picture in it as proof. And second, he finds a path leading to an opening on the plateau's backside, from which he's able to signal Austin and Zambo, who are still at the camp. It's from this opening that the group is able to escape by climbing a rope-ladder that the two of them construct. 

Despite being one of Challenger's staunchest critics, calling him a liar and a fraud, Prof. Summerlee (Arthur Hoyt), a coleopterist (an entomologist who specializes in beetles) at Zoological Hall, opts to go on the expedition, mainly so he can prove it. Throughout the journey, even after they learn that the dinosaurs are real and are stranded on the plateau, Summerlee is continually distracted by his fascination with exotic insects and other creatures. He almost gets his head chopped because of this, as he goes in to look at a beetle on the side of a tree that Ed is chopping down so they can cross over to the plateau. Also, while they're actually crossing the tree, Summerlee, when spots another insect on it, stops in the middle, bends down, and goes to pick it up, even though he could potentially fall to his death. He does fall onto the log but then quickly makes it across. Even after after they've become stranded, he preoccupies himself by studying some lizards he finds, and gets irritated when Ed brushes a wood tick off his neck, saying it was an undiscovered species that's now lost to science. Summerlee also has a major butt monkey moment when Challenger is constructing his makeshift catapult. The two of them argue about the shape of the catapulted rock's trajectory, which Challenger says will be a curve, but Summerlee argues it will be a parabola. He learns the answer the hard way when the rope tying the catapult down slips while he's sitting on it and he's hurled through the air, landing in a puddle of muddy water. Challenger then walks up to him and declares, "I was right... you described a curve!", and laughs at him, as Summerlee is clearly not amused.

Two characters who are quite cringe-inducing to watch nowadays because they're very unflattering caricatures are Austin (Francis Finch Smiles), Prof. Challenger's butler (who I figured was also British but I guess is actually from the American South, per his name and how his intertitle dialogue is written), and Zambo (Jules Cowles), a servant who comes along as well. Wikipedia says that Zamobi is Indian, but I think he's meant to be African-American. Whatever his nationality, Zambo is especially egregious in regards to his racially insensitive depiction. For one, Jules Cowles, as if you couldn't tell, was a Caucasian who played the role in black-face, and for another, his

dialogue in the intertitles are written in a horribly stereotypical fashion. "Jocko goin' be mighty lonesome down her wifout Miss Paula. He climb dat big rock dis mo'nin' to git to her. He cain't bear dat girl outen his sight!" "We all is makin' a rope ladder to git you all down on!" Granted, Austin's dialogue is written in the same manner, so at least the movie is equally stereotypical, but I haven't cringed at writing like that since I read the original book of Live and Let Die by Ian Fleming. Regardless, Austin and Zambo prove to be significant characters in that they remain at the camp while everyone else climbs up to the plateau and come up with a plan to rescue them, making a rope ladder out of the camp's hammocks and then sending Jocko up with a rope tied to the ladder so the group can pull it up, then use it to climb down. The two of them are also present at Challenger's intended exhibition of the Brontosaurus when they're back in London, but of course, that goes south before it can even get started.

The only reason why the group is able to get the Brontosaurus back to London in the first place is thanks to Major Hibbard (Charles Wellesley). I initially said he was a character who came out of nowhere after they've made it down from the plateau but, actually, he is established earlier, when he and other members of the Brazilian Geodetic Survey realize the volcano is going to erupt. After the group has escaped and discovered the Brontosaurus as he lies stuck in some thick mud, Hibbard randomly walks in from the right and introduces himself. He adds that he saw the smoke from the group's campfire on the plateau, and it's only then that he notices the dinosaur that's literally right in front of him, as Sir John Roxton comments, "We smoked out quite a rat, Major!" When the idea of taking him back to London alive comes up, Hibbard offers to help make it happen, saying he'll get some men to dredge out the stream, build a steel cage and a raft, and wait for the rains to come in order to float out the Brontosaurus.

Having been made for a major studio of the period, First National Pictures, and boasting a then impressive budget of $700,000, The Lost World's production values are quite high. Many of the sets, both the interiors and exteriors, are fantastic. Interiors such as those of Gladys Hungerford's apartment, the Record Journal's offices, Zoological Hall, both the main exhibition area, with some cool-looking dinosaur skeleton, and the assembly hall where Prof. Challenger gives his lectures, and Challenger's large, fancy home, all come off as grand and very nicely-designed and furnished by art director Milton Menasco. There are also a fair amount of exteriors that take place on the streets of London, which were

either done on a backlot or were actually the streets of New York, where much of the live-action shooting took place, or Los Angeles. As for the sets meant to represent the jungles of South America, they did a really good job of creating the outpost where the group stays before heading on to the plateau, with the river they travel down actually being made from an open sewer behind MGM's studio in Los Angeles. They also had a lot of real animals at their disposal, like parrots, a pig, an alligator, a jaguar, a sloth and her baby, a pair of little baby bears, a number of monkeys, most notably Jocko, and a chimpanzee (named Mary in real life) who's seen with the

Apeman. The big wide views of the plateau itself and the surrounding countryside are realized by a combination of some truly impressive matte paintings, compositing shots, and miniature sets. And the set for the cave that they take shelter in later on is effectively dark and spooky, helped by the purple tinting, and looks convincingly enough like a cavern, with stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, and a couple of significant chambers, like the one where Sir John Roxton finds Maple White's remains and a chamber beyond that where he comes upon a smoking, fiery pit. Most notably, further beyond that,

is a tunnel that leads to an opening on the plateau's backside. The only downside to the production design is how some of the scenes with the characters at their campsites in the jungle, both on the plateau and at its base, are clearly done on sets and backlots. It's especially telling when you compare it to the scenes on the river or when you see the Brazilian Geodetic Survey in the woods. But, that's old Hollywood for you.

Indeed, the area really comes off best when it's realized through the miniature sets and matte paintings. When seen from the side in the big wide shots, the plateau has a distinctive shape in how there's a very narrow, thin spot at one end that's separated from the rest of it (the "pinnacle," as the characters call it), with the explorers having to cut down a tree and use it to cross over. The plateau's surface is dotted with lush tropical jungles and flowing rivers that initially make it seem like paradise, before you factor in the dinosaurs, monstrous Apeman, and the volcano that suddenly erupts near the end of the second act. In any case, the miniature sets are not only wonderfully detailed but

were also very impressive in scale, with the biggest, which was used for the stampede sequence, having been 75-feet wide and 150-feet long. The miniature sets of London during the Brontosaurus' climactic rampage also look great, especially when they're destroyed, chief among them being the model of the Tower Bridge where he plunges into the River Thames.

There are some noteworthy instances of direction here, like these sudden close-ups of Paula's face, surrounded by a circle, whenever she's frightened or concerned (something that wasn't unusual for this era but still makes for some noteworthy imagery), and an an instance of traveling animation depicting the expedition's trek from England to South America, then heading on to the Amazon, which definitely makes you think of Indiana Jones nowadays. (That moment came from a trailer that was discovered in 1993; whether or not it was meant for the actual movie is unknown.) However, there's one bit of direction that I find to be downright terrifying. Shortly after the group becomes stranded, an Allosaurus, which we've already seen terrorizing

some other dinosaurs, makes his way to the campsite. Before he comes stomping out of the jungle in the wide shot, you see him approaching them in the dark, in total silhouette, save for his glowing eyes. Not only is that creepy in and of itself, but the jerky nature of his stop-motion movements in the darkness make him come off all the more unsettling. Also, when he comes into the camp and Ed throws a torch, which he catches in his mouth, you get an instance of early colorization, as the flame on the torch is red against the scene's blue tinting. And the live-action portions of the volcano eruption sequence, with the actors in virtual silhouette in front of the flames, have a hellish feel to them that I really like, emphasized all the more by the red tinting there.

If there's one problem I have with The Lost World, it's that it is a bit slow at times. Naturally, since it's a silent movie, you shouldn't expect a mile-a-minute, lightning-quick pace, and it actually starts up with a fair amount of energy, as the plot is promptly set in motion and there are moments of slapstick with Ed, who literally slips into his editor's office, and his initial skirmishes with Prof. Challenger. And it also doesn't take long for the expedition to get underway, but that, ironically, is where things get a little sluggish. Not much happens during their journey up the river, as they mostly just look at the wildlife on the shore. There are moments where it looks as though they might get attacked, but nothing comes of

it. Naturally, when they reach the plateau, start seeing dinosaurs, and get stranded, things pick up, particularly during their first night there, as there's one dinosaur scene after the other. But, once they've made their camp in the cave, it gets slow again, focusing on Challenger and Prof. Summerlee's antics in trying to construct a catapult, Ed and Sir John Roxton exploring the cave, searching for any sign of Paula's father, and Ed's sudden infatuation with Paula. Admittedly, a big reason for this feeling is because, save for Challenger, most of these characters aren't much to write home about, and so, I especially couldn't care less about Ed randomly declaring his

love for Paula and intending to marry her, or Roxton deciding to be the bigger man and step aside. There are certainly more exciting sequences to follow, like the brief skirmish between the Brontosaurus and the T-Rex, the volcano eruption and stampede sequence, the characters' escape from the plateau, and the climax with the Brontosaurus in London, but the moments between them are, again, because of the characters, not the most engaging.

Another issue is how choppy and uneven the editing and flow of the film sometimes is. Granted, this could be an unavoidable byproduct of the movie's age (for God's sake, it's now literally a hundred years old), as you do get that a lot in silent movies and movies from the early 30's. Or, again, it could also be because this still isn't the absolute complete version that was seen in 1925. Either way, there are moments where it'll briefly cut to something and then cut back before you've had a chance to process what you saw. An example is when, during the Brontosaurus' rampage in London, his foot goes through the pavement and ends up sticking out of the ceiling in the subway, which you see very briefly. Speaking of the

Brontosaurus, after he falls off the plateau and ends up in the thick mud, there are a number of times afterward, including during the group's escape from the plateau, where the film will randomly cut back to him as he's laying there. It's as if they were afraid you'd forget about him, when they've already shown him there once after he's fallen off and only needed to show him again for the moment where the group finds him after they've gotten down. And even during that first shot of him in the mud, there's another instance of random editing, where it suddenly cuts to Paula in the cave, before then cutting to the smoking volcano. I believe it's meant to illustrate that she feels

something's wrong, but it came off as clunky. Also, any suspense that could be generated by Ed, Challenger, and Summerlee getting caught up in the eruption and stampede is immediately diffused in the aftermath, as we're simply told that they made it back safely. Finally, to again show just how unmemorable the characters are, when the volcano first shows signs of eruption here, it cuts to the members of the Brazilian Geodetic Survey in the nearby jungle, with Maj. Hibbard looking through his binoculars and declaring it's about to blow. Because the movie never established these guys up until now, and just suddenly cuts to them observing the volcano, I initially thought they were some of the characters on the plateau, which is why I first said that Hibbard comes out of nowhere near the end. (There is an establishing shot of them in the jungle before we see Hibbard, but because of the editing and bland characters, my brain did not make the connection.) Admittedly, that could be on me, but I also think it speaks volumes for how little of an impression the characters make on me.

In all, eight different types of dinosaurs feature in the film. The first one we see is a Pteranodon, which flies overhead and lands on the pinnacle of the plateau, with some kind of animal in its mouth that it proceeds to eat (according to Wikipedia, the creature is a Tuxodon, an extinct species of South American "ungulate," the family of large, hoofed mammals). Another Pteranodon is later caught and devoured by a marauding Tyrannosaurus. Speaking of which, the first theropod we see is identified by Prof. Challenger as an Allosaurus, and he goes on a nighttime rampage across the plateau, attacking and killing a poor Trachodon (a Hadrosaur or "duckbill), then dumping his body into a bog while chomping on a chunk of his

flesh. He also goes after a family of Triceratops, though one of the adults manages to chase him off, and then wanders into the group's campsite. They also manage to repel him, with Ed shooting him right in the snout and then throwing the torch that he catches in his mouth, before he flings it away and runs off. Still not satisfied, he tries to tangle with an Agathaumas (I thought it was a Styracosaurus but Wikipedia says it's an Agathaumas), and pays for it, as he gets gored to death. But that's when the Tyrannosaurus comes in and he manages to overpower and kill the Agathaumas, and gets the Pteranodon when it flies in too close. A few

Stegosaurs can be seen amid the dinosaur stampede when the volcano erupts, and you can also see one in the aftermath, as well as a big group of what appear to be young Allosaurs feasting on a dead dinosaur. However, the most significant dinosaur is the Brontosaurus. While depicted as gentle, leaf-eating giants, one of them proves to be the very reason why the group becomes stranded on the plateau. Becoming curious about the tree they chopped down so they could cross over to it, he approaches it, trying to get at some vegetation growing around its head and down the side of the cliff. In doing so, he causes it to fall down the chasm. Another Brontosaurus, after getting

into a skirmish with the T-Rex, falls over the edge of the plateau, lands in some water below, and is then shown to have wound up some very thick mud below. He's later taken back to London, only to get loose while being unloaded and go on a rampage throughout the city. Unlike King Kong, the Brontosaurus doesn't die but rather falls into the River Thames and swims his way up it and out into the ocean, presumably heading back home (and looking a lot like classic depictions of the Loch Ness Monster, with his back breaking the surface behind his head and neck, especially the very last shot of him).

What's surprising about The Lost World is how, even though the dinosaurs were based on the paintings of Charles R. Knight (as were movie dinosaurs in general for decades), which have since been proven to be very scientifically inaccurate, the depiction of their behavior was occasionally quite progressive. Rather than sluggish and clumsy, they're portrayed as being quite active and agile, and the Brontosaurs are always on dry land, as opposed to the swamps and lakes they're often wading through in Knight's paintings. Also, the Triceratops protecting her young from the Allosaurus was tied to a radical theory that wouldn't become widely-accepted until over fifty years later. And, while there are moments where it goes into

monster movie territory, the only dinosaurs that prove to be a danger to the humans are the carnivorous Allosaurus and the Brontosaurus during the climax, and that's only because he's confused and frightened after being dragged away to London. This is worlds away from the dinosaurs in King Kong, all of which actively and, in some cases, maliciously attack Carl Denham's group.

Besides the dinosaurs, there's also a vicious Apeman (Bull Montana), who's the first to attack the group even before they get up to the plateau, dropping a boulder on their campsite. Often accompanied by a chimpanzee (whether she's meant to be a chimp in this context or another of the Apeman's species is never made clear), he keeps an eye on the humans as they make their way over the plateau. Following the Allosaurus attack, Ed climbs a tree to try to find another place for them to camp, but that's also where the Apeman happens to be. He stalks Ed but, just when he sneaks up behind him and is about to attack, Sir John Roxton spots and shoots the Apeman. He falls out of tree but lands on his feet, as he's only

injured in his left arm. Enraged at this, he quickly bounds away before he can be shot again. He and the chimp lurk in the caves that the group use for shelter, and when they're climbing down the makeshift rope ladder, the Apeman attempts to ambush Ed again by pulling on it. Once again, Roxton shoots and, this time, he manages to fatally wound him. The chimp seems distraught by this and doesn't leave the Apeman's side after he's dead, showing that the two of them were apparently quite close.

For a number of reasons, chief among them likely its being a silent film, as well as how it was only available in a chopped up, poor quality, public domain version for decades, The Lost World has largely been overshadowed by King Kong, with many referring to that as the original giant monster movie (though, I think this can safely be called the first dinosaur movie). While I would definitely rather watch King Kong if given the choice, not just because of my infinitely more personal connection to it but also because I find it much, much more entertaining and just a better movie overall, The Lost World does deserve its due, especially when it comes to the special effects. While the stop-motion animation in 

King Kong is certainly more technically proficient and better in every regard, The Lost World was, by all accounts, the first feature film to make such extensive use of it. Before this, Willis O'Brien had only used it in some short films he made in the 1910's, so this was the first time where he really got to show off what he could do. The stop-motion is unavoidably stiff and jerky in many instances, like when the Allosaurus first goes on his rampage, as O'Brien and his team were still refining it at the time. However, there are mqny other moments where it's smoother and more fluid, such as in the scenes where the group watches the Brontosaurus from a distance, when you see him

lumbering across the top of the plateau and knocking the tree off, and when you see the dinosaurs in the aftermath of the volcano eruption. The animation on the Pteranodon that they first see is impressive for the time in that they got it to flap its wings and bank a little in midair, so it's not just a stiff puppet on a string. And when it comes in for a landing, while the effect looks a bit strange, it's still better than you might expect. The Tyrannosaurus attacking the Agathaumas, which is a fairly elaborate battle for the time, is also well-executed, and, in fact, many of these sequences are quite ambitious. Others include the Brontosaurus fighting the T-Rex, the volcano eruption

and stampede, and the London rampage. The scale of some of these scenes is especially impressive, with O'Brien and company having made close to fifty dinosaur models in all. Finally, the instances of close-up expressions on some of the dinosaurs' faces, like the Allosaurus roaring, with saliva hanging in his open mouth and his tongue flaring, and the one Brontosaurus showing his teeth when challenged by the T-Rex and when he's growling at the people running by him in London, are wonderfully expressive. I don't care if the latter was made fun of in that Bagel Bites commercial, it's still a nice bit of work and gets the point across.

As O'Brien would later do on King Kong, in addition to the stop-motion, there are many moments where you get the live-action actors in the same frame as the dinosaurs and miniature sets, like when they're watching the Brontosaurus, when the Allosaurus stomps into their camp, and during the volcano eruption. For the time, these shots look pretty good, even if you can sometimes make out the divide between the two pieces of film. However, to this day, I'm not sure how they pulled off the big, wide views of the plateau, with the characters walking across the fallen tree. I can't tell if it was done with the real actors matted onto the miniature or if it was all stop-motion but, either way, it looks great. The same also

goes for a wide shot of the Brontosaurus approaching the Tower Bridge during the climax, as cars can be seen driving across it; I couldn't tell you if that was all stop-motion or a combination with live-action elements. However, speaking of that section, there are some ambitious attempts at putting the Brontosaurus in shots of real city streets, buildings, and fleeing pedestrians that, while not bad, do look a tad wonky. Also, there's a moment where a full-size version of the dinosaur's tail knocks some people over, as well as a very briefly-glimpsed head that comes through a window and a foot that nearly steps on some people (however, said foot not only looks rubbery but has

claws on it, very unlike the actual creature). These effects can be seen as something of a prelude to the live-action elements of Kong, like his hands, feet, and torso. Also, when the Brontosaurus falls off the plateau and into the River Thames at the end, then starts swimming up it, they switch from the stop-motion to what looks like a simple model, but it's still effective for what it needed to do. And finally, the smoking and erupting volcano, as well as the bubbling lava it spews out, look absolutely awesome.

There's some excitement even before the journey to the Lost World begins, such as when Ed makes the mistake of telling Prof. Challenger that he's a news reporter at Zoological Hall. The very temperamental professor literally chases Ed down the center of the assembly hall and out into the streets. Ed manages to get ahead of Challenger and hide, while Challenger walks down the building's steps and to the street, looking intently for him. When he doesn't see him anywhere, Challenger takes a cab home. Unbeknownst to him or the driver, Ed hitched a ride on the cab's back, and conceals himself when they arrive at Challenger's home. Once the professor has

gone through the front door, Ed sneaks into the home through a window, not knowing that a passing bobby on the opposite side of the street spotted him. He climbs right into the professor's study and comes face-to-face with him. Ed tries to explain himself, but Challenger, glaring at him, grabs his throat and the two men begin struggling violently. They tumble out of the study and into the foyer, in front of both Austin and the bobby, who'd walked over to investigate the intruder, as he comes through the door. They end up knocking the bobby down the steps outside, before they themselves tumble out, as a befuddled Austin follows after them. The bobby gets caught up in their fight, and they're about to continue, with Challenger

pulling Ed to his feet to keep beating on him, when the bobby breaks it up. Though initially intending to charge Challenger with assault, Ed then has to admit that he intruded on him. Once the matter is settled, and the bobby shoos away some curious passersby, he leaves the scene. Challenger goes to walk back inside his home, when Ed mentions their mutual friendship with Sir John Roxton. With that, they're able to talk civilly.

Like I said before, the journey to the plateau is fairly uneventful, as it's mainly just the group and their servants paddling up the river in a series of canoes, as they check out the local wildlife on the banks. There's a jaguar that gets a little too close for comfort at one point, and Jocko the monkey freaks out at the sight of a large snake hanging down from a tree branch above their path, but otherwise, they don't run into much trouble. (There's a shot of a mysterious native watching from the shore at the beginning of the sequence, though nothing comes of it. However, that moment could be indicative of a lost scene, which I'll talk about later.) When they reach the plateau and set up camp nearby, the savage Apeman spots them and

immediately starts making trouble. He and the chimp push a boulder down over the ledge and it crashes in the center of the campsite. While no one is injured, it immediately puts the group on high alert. Challenger appears to get a glimpse of the Apeman before he walks out of sight, but before he can warn the others, Roxton spots the Pteranodon soaring overhead. The group watches as it flies over and then lands atop the pinnacle separate from the rest of the plateau, eating something it was carrying in its beak. Once it's done feeding, as it drops the carcass over the edge, it flies back over to the plateau.

The next day, the group works to cross over from the pinnacle to the plateau by chopping down a tree to bridge the chasm, just as Maple White had before them, while Austin and Zambo watch from camp. Unbeknownst to the group, the Apeman is watching from nearby. When they manage to cut the tree down, the sound of it hitting the ground startles a nearby Brontosaurus, while the Apeman heads out of sight. As they cross over the log, Paula has some trouble, as the sight of the enormous drop below temporarily freaks her out and causes her to lose her balance. But, with Roxton's encouragement, she makes it across. The same goes for everyone else, despite Prof. Summerlee stupidly stopping in the middle of his

crossing to inspect an insect on the log. By this point, the Brontosaurus has moved away from the spot next to a stream where he was grazing and to somewhere closer to the log. While Jocko tries to follow the others across the log, the sight of the dinosaur sends him running back to the pinnacle. The group themselves then come across the Brontosaurus as he continues grazing, and while some, like Paula, are startled at the sight of him, Challenger assures them that he's harmless, "Unless it happens to step on us." Roxton, on the other hand, comments, "My elephant gun might as well be a bean-shooter!" The Brontosaurus then moves away from them and curiously heads towards the log, inspecting it to see if there any leaves on it (in the midst of this, there's a

random cutaway to Zambo falling and bringing a tent down with him). While it doesn't, he does find something worth eating around the end of it, on the edge of the cliff, but it's attached to some vines trailing down the side. When he tries to pull the mass of vegetation up, the log gets tangled in the vines. He pulls up again, only to lose his grip, and the log tumbles down the chasm. He then wanders away, as the group realizes they're now stranded just like White, while down below, Austin and Zambo appear to wonder what they can do to help.

That night, the group has settled in to a new campsite, unaware that they're being watched by the Apeman. That's when the Allosaurus makes his first appearance, coming up behind and roaring at a Trachodon. Hearing the commotion, the group watches as he charges and snaps at the Trachodon. The Trachodon manages to dodge him, and they snap back and forth at each other, when the Allosaurus first manages to bite the Trachodon's neck, then his bottom jaw. In the struggle, the Trachodon manages to break free, but the Allosaurus lunges for his neck again and bites into it. The Trachodon collapses to the ground and slowly stops moving, and the Allosaurus then

then drops his body into a bog below the ridge they were fighting on, before helping himself to a big chunk of bloody meat that he ripped out. Once he's finished his meal, licking his claws clean, he spots an adult Triceratops with her baby nearby. Realizing they're in danger, the two dinosaurs quickly run off, with the mother forcing her baby to go on ahead. The Allosaurus chases them, as they meet up with two other adults in a clearing. The mother sends the other adults off and hides her baby in some shrubbery, as the Allosaurus comes stomping in. He lunges at the mother but she promptly jabs him in the gut with one of her horns. He very quickly decides it's not worth it and moves on. Once he's gone, the baby comes out of

its hiding place and rejoins its mother. The Allosaurus next stomps through the jungle towards the campsite. Everyone hears his approach and sees his silhouette and glowing eyes in the dark, prompting Ed, Challenger, and Roxton to grab their rifles. When he comes out of the jungle and enters their camp, they begin firing, with Ed managing to shoot him around the nostril. He recoils from this, blood pouring out of the wound, and Ed then takes a torch and throws it at him. The Allosaurus catches it in his mouth and, flailing his head around, throws it off to the side and retreats back into the jungle. Within seconds, he challenges the Agathaumas, circling around and snapping at him, and even jumping on his back and

biting into him. However, the Agathaumas manages to turn the tables, first by knocking the Allosaurus back onto the ground, then forcing him down and goring him to death, driving his body up against the side of a cliff. Back at the camp, Ed decides to climb up a tree to scan the plateau, which is brightly lit by the moon, for a safer spot for them to hunker down. Unbeknownst to him, the Apeman is up there and has been watching them this whole time.

While Ed starts his climb, the Agathaumas finishes off the Allosaurus and goes back to his grazing, when a larger and fiercer Tyrannosaurus Rex comes in. Like the Allosaurus, he circles and then jumps onto the Agathaumas' back, but proves to be much more formidable. He bites into the Agathaumas' left front leg and pulls it back, trying to force him to fall over. The Agathaumas fights with everything he has, but the T-Rex manages to overpower him and rips a big, bleeding wound out of the base of his leg. He pins him down and bites into him again, and when the Agathaumas tries to get back up, the T-Rex jumps on him, forcing him down again. He mercilessly bites

into his leg and tears into his underbelly with the claws on his foot. Meanwhile, Ed climbs up to the tree's first branch, with the Apeman watching him from behind a mass of vegetation at the end of it. While the T-Rex manages to snag a flying Pteranodon out of the air and begin feeding on it, Ed climbs onto one of the higher branches, with the Apeman following him. Scanning the plateau with his eyes, Ed spots a cave in a cliff-side on the opposite end. However, the Apeman climbs onto the branch and sneaks up behind Ed, preparing to attack. Down below, Roxton spots him and quickly aims his rifle and fires, hitting the Apeman near the top of his left arm. Grabbing at his wound, he falls off the branch

and lands, on his feet, on the ground below. Glaring and snarling at the others, he quickly turns and bounds away before they can cause him further harm, with Roxton briefly attempting to chase after him. Ed climbs back down, tells the others of the cave, and says that they'll head for it at daybreak. Elsewhere, the Apeman sits by a bog, nursing his wound with the water, with thoughts of revenge on his mind.

Things slow down for a bit, as the group takes shelter in the cave, with Professor Challenger attempting to create a catapult, while Ed and Roxton search the cave for any signs of Paula's father. Nearby, the dinosaurs go about their business, with a group of Brontosaurs grazing and another Trachodon scratching himself. During this section, Prof. Summerlee gets launched through the air by Challenger's catapult, landing in a puddle loudly enough to startle a Triceratops and its offspring, and unintentionally proving Challenger right as to what trajectory a launched object would fly in. Roxton also finds the tunnel leading to an opening in the back of

the plateau and there, signals Austin and Zambo at their campsite by firing a revolver. While the two of them rush over and explain to Roxton how they intend to save the group with a makeshift rope ladder, Challenger and Summerlee observe one of the Brontosaurs. They follow him and watch him eat some leaves on a tree branch, when the T-Rex comes in and challenges him. They growl and flare their lips at each other, and when the T-Rex gets too close for comfort, the Brontosaurus snaps at him and actually manages to bite into his neck. The T-Rex struggles to get free, when the Brontosaurus backs up to the edge of the plateau and loses his balance as it crumbles beneath him. He lets go and falls over the cliff, with

the T-Rex almost going over with him. He lands in a body of water at the base of the plateau, which sends him into a thick mass of mud, while the T-Rex wanders off up above. Then, the volcano up there begins smoking violently, which doesn't go unnoticed by the Brazilian Geodetic Survey in the nearby jungle. Looking through binoculars, Maj. Hibbard declares that the plateau will soon be covered in lava, with the smoke increasing and the sky growing darker.

Like the Apeman and the chimp, whose lair is a chamber in the cave's upper level, which Ed climbed up into earlier, Paula and Roxton are sitting inside the cave, near its mouth, as they wait for Ed to return with the professors. However, as smoke continues billowing from the volcano, they become worried for their safety. Outside, Ed runs through the jungle, calling for Challenger and Summerlee, as the volcano begins to erupt. Lava pours out of the crater and runs across the plateau, sending various dinosaurs, like a Stegosaurus, a herd of Triceratops, and some Brontosaurs, running for their lives. One Brontosaurus gets an unexpected hitchhiker when the T-Rex jumps on his back. He carries the T-Rex

several yards, trying to get him off, before finally managing to make him jump off his back. The professors also run for cover amid the chaos, while Ed continues to frantically search for them; at the same time, down below, Austin and Zambo work to get their rope-ladder finished as quickly as possible. While the professors continue to run and avoid the flames, and Ed keeps looking for them, Paula and Roxton reluctantly stay at the mouth of the cave. Ed climbs up onto a ridge, as several Brontosaurs frantically run by, followed by a Triceratops. The dinosaurs continue to run for cover, while all Paula and Roxton can do is sit by the cave entrance and wait. 

After a fade to black, the eruption has subsided and the dinosaurs are back to doing their thing. Meanwhile, Paula and Roxton are at the opening in the back of the plateau, as Austin and Zambo send Jocko up to them, carrying the rope that their ladder is tied to. Ed, Challenger, and Summerlee have made their way back to the cave safely, and Roxton leads the two professors down the tunnel; however, the Apeman has also climbed down from his chamber. At the same time, Jocko successfully brings the rope and ladder to Paula. Once it's secured around a rock formation, the group begin their climb down, with Paula going first and Jocko following after her. Prof. Summerlee heads down next, followed by Challenger,

and then Roxton. Ed is the last one to head down, unaware that the Apeman has been watching them from back in the cave. Once Ed begins making his way down the face of the plateau, the Apeman, now joined by the chimp, walks to the opening. Looking down, he grabs the end of the rope ladder and starts pulling it up, sneering at Ed. Down on the ground, the others see what's happening and pull on the other end of the rope ladder. A tug-o-war begins, with Ed caught in the middle and in danger of falling. In fact, the Apeman proves strong enough to lift Austin up off the ground as he hangs onto the other end, while Ed sways back and forth in midair. Like he did before,

Roxton aims his rifle and fires, hitting the Apeman and, this time, it proves to be fatal. He's struck in the chest and falls back, as Ed falls along with the rope ladder before the knot it's tied on up above catches. He climbs the rest of the way down, while the Apeman dies from his injury. Now that they've made it down from the plateau, the characters discover the Brontosaurus, still stuck in the thick mud. And when Maj. Hibbard shows up, the plan is put into motion to remove the dinosaur and take him back to London.

Once he's back at Zoological Hall, it's been a year since Challenger was first ridiculed for his claims. Now, he's preparing to vindicate himself by showing them the Brontosaurus, which is being unloaded from the ship under Ed's supervision. Challenger then gets the phone call he's been expecting, only for Ed to break it to him that the Brontosaurus has escaped and is running wild in the streets of London. Challenger goes back into the assembly hall and tells the audience what's happened, advising them to stay off the streets until he's able to recapture the Brontosaurus. Challenger is, like before, declared a fraud, with one person saying he should be run out of town. Chaos then breaks out amid the audience,

mirroring the craziness that's going on outside. The Brontosaurus looms over and roars at the throngs of fleeing people, knocking a number of them off their feet with his swaying tail. Some people take shelter in the subway, while one guy stumbles drunkenly out of a bar and can hardly believe his eyes when he sees the dinosaur. The Brontosaurus continues roaming the streets, inspecting and then knocking over a statue. The impact causes a section of the roof in the subway station below to come down, and the Brontosaurus' foot even breaks through the pavement and gets briefly stuck down there. Once he pulls his foot back out, he heads into a relatively empty section of the city, poking his head through a window and breaking

up a card game, and walking down the street, snapping at passersby. He approaches the corner of a building up ahead and a pair of men run out the front door. One of them sees an injured woman in the street, right in the Brontosaurus' path, and he runs in and fires at the dinosaur before he can step on her. This causes him to recoil long enough for the two of them to get away. The Brontosaurus then inspects a streetlight, only to become enraged when it burns his snout. In his anger, he smashes into the side of a building, causing much of it to collapse. He makes his way to the Tower Bridge, walking across the road spanning one end of it to the next, as hundreds of

people watch from nearby. Standing in the center, he rears up on his hind legs and stomps down on the bridge, then does it again. This causes it to crumble beneath him and he tumbles down into the River Thames, with some cars falling in after him. The excitement of all of this causes one of those many onlookers to nearly fall into the water himself, but someone else manages to catch him. Unhurt, the Brontosaurus swims downriver, while Challenger can do nothing but watch from the bank. Everything then quickly wraps up, with Ed finding out that Gladys married while he was away and thus, he goes off with Paula, while the Brontosaurus heads out to sea, with a tramp steamer passing in the distance.

At the beginning and throughout this review, I've mentioned how, up until the 2017 Blu-Ray release by Lobster Films and Flicker Alley, The Lost World had been available in several restorations of a version that was barely an hour long. That's because, in 1929, either because they didn't want it to interfere with an intended sound remake or, according to Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films, because of news of Willis O'Brien's involvement with King Kong (I'm not sure how much truth there is to that, as O'Brien was busy on the unmade Creation around that time and filming on Kong wouldn't even begin until 1932), the film was redrawn from the public, and all release prints and foreign negatives were ordered to be destroyed. However, with the advent of 16mm film around that same time, Kodascope Libraries, a subsidiary of Eastman Kodak, created a 35mm negative of a shortened, 50-minute version meant for private viewing. For decades, this version was the only one that survived, although in the 1950's, a 35mm negative by Kodak itself was discovered at the George Eastman House. Then, in 1992, the National Film Archive of the Czech Republic announced that they'd found a nearly complete 35mm copy of the "export negative," which were the versions of Hollywood movies during this era that were shot with a second camera on the set and sent out across the world. While the negative for this copy was long gone and the print itself had a number of scratches and other defects in it (any scenes or shots with such defects on them in the 2017 restoration come from the Czech print), it was better than nothing, as several reels of the Eastman House negative from the 50's were also decomposing. Thus, they combined everything useful from both sources, as well as that map animation from a recently-discovered trailer, for a 76-minute restoration that was released in 1998, and was also put on the DVD release of the 1960 remake as a bonus feature.

In 2000, Serge Bromberg and David Shepard embarked on their own restoration, this time using digital technology. Notably, they added a short moment at the beginning with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, based on such a preamble that was described in the film's shooting script. I said "based" because the original 1925 version of this early moment is likely lost forever, so they had to use some other footage of Doyle, one where, instead of sitting at his desk, holding a pen, as described in the script, he walks out of his house with a dog, sits on a bench, and addresses the audience directly. Finally, in 2004, Lobster Films was contacted about the recent discovery of even more original film elements,

including four reels from the film that included, among other things, additional missing scenes. Since they'd just recently put out a restoration, they opted to wait a while to incorporate this new material, which included that shot of the colored flame on the torch. It wasn't until 2K scanning came around that they decided it was time and thus, we now have this Blu-Ray release with what is now considered the closest reconstruction of the original 1925 film. By all accounts, the only major scene that's still missing is an attack by cannibals during the journey to the plateau. I was initially confused by this because, after the main group becomes stranded, Zambo mentions

how some cannibals dropped a boulder on them the night before, although the culprit there was the Apeman. However, it seems like the missing cannibal scene is something else entirely, and I'm not sure if the intertitles here are among those taken from the original version or if they're re-translated into English from the Czech material (I would hope they were the former, given how uncomfortable those intertitles are). Like I said, in the film itself, there is a possible hint at this missing scene, as there's a mysterious native watching the group as they head up the river, but nothing comes of it.

Like a lot of public domain films, you can watch The Lost World on its own Wikipedia page. What makes it stand out from others is that it's the 102-minute, 2K scanned 2017 version with the color filters (that's where I got the screenshots you've seen here), rather than one of the poorer quality versions, as is often the case. However, there's no incidental music score, meaning, unless you want to sit there in total silence for nearly two hours, you'll have to either buy the Blu-Ray or go to some other online source (like Tubi). In any case, Robert Israel, who did one of two music scores for the 2000 restoration, was brought back to provide new music for the 2017 one. Obviously, I can only comment on the work he did here, but, for my money, I think he did a really good job, managing to match his music with both the movie's tone and era. He starts with a bombastic and wild orchestral piece for the opening credits, with a very ominous main melody of very strong notes, then transitions into a very proper, British-sounding bit for the preamble with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This feeling is maintained in the establishing scenes at the Zoological Hall, which is scored with a type of music I've often heard associated with colleges and higher learning, while Prof. Summerlee is given a rather pompous-sounding leitmotif. The opening scenes with Ed and Gladys have a very soft, kind of poignant sound to them, while Prof. Challenger's introductory scene at the Zoological Hall is, surprisingly, scored with a kind of low-key, ominous feeling, hinting at what he's asking those in the audience to journey into with him. When the setting shifts to South America, the music adopts a more primitive, tribal sound, and when they reach the plateau and start seeing dinosaurs, the music has either a big, lumbering feel for the Brontosaurus or becomes frantic, monstrous for the Allosaurus' nighttime rampage. Naturally, it's soft and sweet for moments with either Paula, when she's worried about her father, or when her and Ed's relationship develops. Surprisingly, while you would expect Israel to go really big and crazy with the volcano eruption and dinosaur stampede, that music focuses more on emotion rather than the impact of the action. The same also goes for the climactic Brontosaurus rampage, which is not scored as bombastic and monstrous as you would expect. It even gets quiet in certain moments when the Brontosaurus is inspecting his surroundings.

Another thing I like about what Israel did with the music is that he sometimes had it fill in for sound effects. The most blatant example is when they cut down the tree so they can cross the chasm, and when the Brontosaurus sends it toppling down, with loud drums and cymbal crashes emphasizing the impacts. Also, during the scene at the Amazon outpost before the group heads on up the river, there's a native girl (according to some sources, she's a half-caste girl named Marquette) who's strumming a guitar and singing. So, Israel put an actual song into the soundtrack, specifically a traditional Brazilian lullaby called Tutu Maramba, sung to keep an evil spirit of that name away from children while they're sleeping. Israel adapted it not only for the guitar but also for strings and woodwinds, and had a woman sing the lyrics. Whoever that woman was, she sang that song in a beautiful but kind of eerie manner.

While it may not be held up to the same lofty standards as other monster and dinosaur movies nowadays, particularly King Kong, The Lost World does deserve its place in film history. Inevitably, it does show its age and can come off as creaky in some respects, such as the pacing, the editing and flow of the story, the mostly bland cast of human characters, and some instances of the very early stop-motion animation, but when it comes to what it's best remembered for, it does deliver. The scenes with the dinosaurs are not only groundbreaking in terms of special effects, but some of them are quite ambitious for the time, and there are many moments where the effects, both in terms of the animation and opticals, are incredibly well-done. Also, many of the sets, both interior and exterior, look awesome and give off the feeling that this was a major production, with some possibly fooling you into thinking they were shot on location, and there are some inspired instances of direction. It may not be a flawless classic, and it's unlikely we'll ever have it in a version where it can be definitely called as much, but it's still a landmark that deserves to be remembered, especially now that this great-looking, 2K restoration is available. If you're at all interested in classic movies, or monster and dinosaur flicks, you should check The Lost World out at least once.